Game projectiles for aerial flight



y 1963 B. P. RANDALL 3,099,450

GAME PROJECTILES FOR AERIAL FLIGHT Filed Aug. 7, 1961 INVENTOR Brian P Randall ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,099,450 GAME PROJECTILES FOR AERIAL FLIGHT Brian P. Randall, Kensington Road, Asheville, N.C. Filed Aug. 7, 1961, Ser. No. 129,847 4 Claims. (Cl. 273-106) This invention relates to toys or games, and more particularly to projectiles which may be used in games similar to baseball, or in other throwing and batting games.

The general object of the invention is the provision of a novel and improved projectile of this class which is durable and safe, especially for younger children, and is capable of being thrown in such a manner as to give it a stable, gliding flight.

Another object is to provide a projectile of this character which, when batted, will not roll so freely as an ordinary ball, and thus is adapted for play in relatively confined areas or restricted grounds.

Preferably, my improved projectile, although solid, is made of sponge rubber or other semi-soft resilient mate rial, so as to prevent injury to the players, but is of such size and weight that it may be readily grasped between the thumb and first finger of the throwing hand, and may be thrown or batted to considerable distances.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan vie-w of my improved projectile;

FIG. 2 is a section substantially on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are side elevations of slightly modified forms of the projectile; and

FIG. 5 is a side elevation showing how the projectile is held in the throwing hand of a player.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my improved projectile, in its preferred form, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, comprises a solid body A, in the shape of a half sphere or half ball. It has a hemi-spherical, continues, smooth curved surface 1, and a continuous, smooth fiat surface 2.

The interior of the body is preferably formed of resilient, porous material 3, such as sponge rubber or the like, and this is covered, on both the curved and flat surfaces, with a continuous, non-porous skin 4.

In FIG. 5 I [have illustrated how this form of projectile A is held in the throwing hand of the player. As shown, the projectile is grasped between the first finger x and thumb y, with the curved surface uppermost, and with the flat lower surface 2 resting on the partially folded middle finger z.

A whip-like side arm pitch is employed, so that the projectile, when released, is given a spinning motion about its own axis, with the lower flat surface generally parallel with the ground. This produces an aerodynamic action which causes the projectile to sail or glide through the air, with the result that a small force exerted by the thrower may propel the projectile over a long flight.

The thrower may, if desired, release the projectile in such manner that the fiat side tilts at a slight angle to the right or left, or up or down, thus producing variations from normal flight to bafile the batter. A number of varieties of pitching techniques can be developed.

The projectile does not necessarily have to be precisely hemi-spherical in shape. As shown in FIG. 3, for example, a segment of a sphere B, somewhat less than a half sphere, may be employed. Or, as shown in FIG. 4, a semi-ellipsoid C may be used. These modifications will, of course, be constructed the same as shown in FIG. 2,

3,099,450 Patented July 30, 1963 ice with a solid body of porous material covered by a nonporous skin.

In -all of the forms shown, it will be seen that the projectile has a flat lower surface, bounded by a circle, and a curved, convex upper surface which may be defined as a surface of revolution. In the forms of FIGS. 2 and 3 this surface of revolution is generated by revolving a circular are about an axis disposed centrally of and perpendicular to the flat surface. The circular arc may be less but never greater than In FIG. 4, the curved surface is generated by revolving a portion of an ellipse about its minor axis perpendicular to said flat surface. This produces an ellipsoidal surface, with the plane of said flat surface extending approximately through the major axis of the ellipse.

In all of the modifications, the combination of the upper convex curved surface With the flat lower surface produces an aerodynamic effect which tends to cause the projectile to glide.

By way of example, but not as a limitation, the diameter of the projectile as shown in FIG. 1, can conveniently be from two and a half to three inches.

My improved projectile may be batted with an ordinary baseball hat, but I find this is usually too heavy, and I prefer to use a special stick, advantageously not over one inch in diameter and from two to three feet long.

What I claim is:

1. An aerodynamic game projectile for stable flight in projection through the atmosphere above the surface of the ground and adapted for use in throwing and batting games; said projectile comprising a solid body of resilient porous material having at one side a fiat surface bounded by a circle, and at the other side a continuous smooth convex, curved surface, said curved surface being a surface of revolution formed by revolving about an axis disposed centrally of and perpendicular to said flat surface, a curved line terminating at said axis and at said circle; the diameter of said circle being approximately the maximum diameter of said surface of revolution; and a continuous skin of non-porous material covering both said flat and curved surfaces, said projectile being of a size to be readily gripped by one hand for throwing, with the first finger and thumb of the throwing hand partially encircling the same, and with said fiat surface disposed toward and substantially parallel with the ground, whereby, when thrown, the projectile tends to spin and glide, while tending to maintain its original attitude relative to the ground.

2. A projectile in accordance with claim 1 in which the curved line generating the surface of revolution is an arc of a circle no greater than 90.

3. A projectile in accordance with claim 1 in which the curved surface is substantially hemi-spherical with the plane of the flat surface extending approximately through the center of the sphere.

4. A projectile in accordance with claim 1 in which the curved surface is substantially ellipsoidal with the plane of the flat surface extending approximately through the major axis of the ellipse.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,694,574 Baker Nov. 16, 1954 2,815,211 Grandinette Dec. 3, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 126,855 Great Britain May 22, 1919 

1. AN AERODYNAMIC GAME PROJECTILE FOR STABLE FLIGHT IN PROJECTION THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND AND ADAPTED FOR USE IN THROWING AND BATTING GAMES; SAID PROJECTILE COMPRISING A SOLID BODY OF RESILIENT POROUS MATERIAL HAVING AT ONE SIDE A FLAT SURFACE BOUNDED BY A CIRCLE, AND AT THE OTHER SIDE A CONTINUOUS SMOOTH CONVEX, CURVED SURFACE, SAID CURVED SURFACE BEING A SURFACE OF REVOLUTION FORMED BY REVOLVING ABOUT AN AXIS DISPOSED CENTRALLY OF AND PERPENDICULAR TO SAID FLAT SURFACE, A CURVED LINE TERMINATING AT SAID AXIS AND AT SAID CIRCLE; THE DIAMETER OF SAID CIRCLE BEING APPROXIMATELY AT MAXIMUM DIAMETER OF SAID SURFACE OF REVOLUTION; AND A CONTINUOUS SKIN OF NON-POROUS MATERIAL COVERING BOTH SAID FLAT AND CURVED SURFACES, SAID PROJECTILE BEING OF A SIZE TO BE READILY GRIPPED BY ONE HAND FOR THROWING, WITH THE FIRST FINGER AND THUMB OF THE THROWING HAND PARTIALLY ENCIRCLING THE SAME, AND WITH SAID FLAT SURFACE DISPOSED TOWARD AND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL WITH THE GROUND, WHEREBY, WHEN THROWN, THE PROJECTILE TENDS TO SPIN AND GLIDE, WHILE TENDING TO MAINTAIN ITS ORIGINAL ATTITUDE RELATIVE TO THE GROUND. 